Industry News Roundup
Satellite radio services appear to be gaining sufficient market momentum to get them over the startup hump.
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Several readers have been asking "What's with all of the Musical Fidelity reviews in Stereophile?" Michael Fremer fearlessly wires the Musical">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/838/">Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player into his system, noting, "Overachievers tend to rankle people after a while."
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For Listening">http://www.stereophile.com//artdudleylistening/834/">Listening #5, Art Dudley tackles audio moderation, Lowther Land, and the audio puritans spying on the nudists next door. AD also explains the statement, "Just because I have a job in the lunch line doesn't mean I have to keep serving the kid who shows off for his friends by spitting out his food."
iTunes: Music Biz Panacea?
Apple's unexpected initial success with its iTunes subscription music service shocked and pleased many in the music industry—and appears likely to prompt a rash of imitators.
Industry News Roundup
Music sales in the US continue to decline, according to a May 8 report from the National">http://www.narm.com">National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM). Retails sales totaled $8.93 billion in 2002, down from the $10.46 billion reported for 2000. Most (87%) of the organization's members reported a drop in music sales last year—only 13% posted higher totals.
Free Music!
A ticket to Home Entertainment 2003—The Hi-Fi and Home Theater event, to be held June 5-8, 2003 at San Francisco's Westin–St. Francis Hotel will offer attendees a chance to hear over a dozen live musical performances from great artists performing contemporary jazz, blues, rock, and classical music.
The Downloading Myth
The music industry repeatedly points to online file trading as the explanation for its declining market. But annual sales are still well ahead of 1998's figures and several analysts note that when you take into account the economic downturn, increased competition for entertainment dollars, high CD pricing, uninspiring new music, and consumer resistance to copy protection, those negative numbers should really be">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11441/">be far worse.
HE2003 Seminars Announced
Show attendees at Home Entertainment 2003, the hi-fi and home-theater event of the year, will be treated to nearly a dozen educational seminars to help guide and inform them about what and how to buy the new and sometimes confusing home audio/video and home theater products available today.
What a Crack-Up
You've got to give the audiophiles who post at the Audio">http://www.AudioAsylum.com">Audio Asylum online forum credit. Not only is AA one of the more informative and constructive audiophile communities, some of its members provide the audio industry much-needed feedback on how it's doing—for better or worse.
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In 1997, Martin Colloms reviewed the Krell">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/829/">Krell Full Power Balanced 600 power amplifier, wondering "Can a 600Wpc amplifier be relevant to domestic high fidelity?"